“In the Negev, the Jewish youth shall be put to the test, in its pioneering strength, its vigor of spirit and its creative and conquering initiative…in the Negev the creative thinking skills and the scientific and research capability shall be tested.” (David Ben-Gurion, “The Significance of the Negev,” January 7, 1955)It is in this spirit that we are currently establishing the Lauder Employment Center, a large-scale endeavor that is intended to assist in the development of the Negev and in the rapid advancement of the City of Be’er-Sheva. The opening of the Center constitutes an important milestone, which will provide high-quality, professional tools for professional guidance, employment solutions and job creation.Currently, a large segment of university graduates do not remain in the Negev after the completion of their studies due to a lack of challenging jobs. I am convinced that this reality can be changed through an employment horizon and employment opportunities that we shall offer the graduates, in cooperation with industry and business leaders.The establishment of the LEC is primarily designed to entice university and college graduates to continue to live in the Negev and the Galilee and to build their future here.
Located in the center of Be’er-Sheva, a vibrant and rapidly changing city, is Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a well-established academic institution that produces a new generation of scientists, engineers, researchers, physicists and a managerial cadre every year, from which will arise the future generation of leadership of the Negev and of the State of Israel.
I am convinced that the Israeli industry will be wise enough to utilize these brilliant minds for the benefit of the Israeli economy. In view of the competitive and changing global reality of the 21st century and in the spirit of entrepreneurship and the rapid development of the City of Be’er-Sheva, the transfer of knowledge-intensive industries to the Negev, the relocation of IDF units and bases to the Negev, along with the identification of the unique DNA of the graduates, are essential for the city to become, as promised, the “Opportunity Capital of Israel.”The opening of the Lauder Employment Center is also a conceptual opening that will continue to develop into additional services over time, which will drive the Negev and the Galilee forward. My project partners and I are proud to be part of the national effort that expresses confidence and support in the City of Be’er Sheva and the entire Negev, where the true future of the State of Israel lies.

Ronald Lauder, President of Lauder Employment Center